Care Plus Mobility Ltd., the Paulton-based supplier of scooters, wheelchairs and other equipment for the elderly and disabled, has generously offered to loan a new mobility scooter to a class of five sixth form students at Fosse Way School.

The young people who comprise the class, all of whom have special educational needs, will all be able to use the new scooter in a variety of innovative learning activities devised by their teacher, Tom Marshall.

Needless to say, each of the students now eagerly awaits the moment when the scooter crosses the threshold into their classroom.

The offer of the scooter was made after specialist sixth form teacher, Tom, had the idea of making a telephone call to Care Plus Mobility to enquire about their products. Little did Tom anticipate the lengths that Care Plus Mobility were prepared to go to support the pupils in his class. He says: “Care Plus Mobility have been great, very welcoming and helpful from the first phone call. They have offered lots of advice, visited the school, met my students and tailored the scooter package to suit their needs.”

Following close consultation, Care Plus Mobility determined that the scooter best suited to the Fosse Way students would be a lightweight, three-wheeled ‘Microbalance’ model, designed to provide considerable ease of manoeuvrability.

The staff have even taken the trouble to modify the scooter’s switch gear to

further enhance the vehicle’s ease of use by the students.

Stacey Showering, Managing Director of Care Plus Mobility said: “We are pleased to support local communities where we can, and it was a privilege to meet the students at Fosse Way School. I was very impressed with the students’ performance handling the scooter. It’s so rewarding to see people using a wide range of our products, which enhance their independence.”

In preparation for the much-anticipated arrival of the scooter, the students have undertaken some careful preparations so that they are able to make best use of it from the outset.

This has included a visit to Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, north of Bristol. Here, the

students honed their skills in manoeuvring a borrowed scooter independently and using it to complete a variety of tasks, as directed by their teacher, Tom Marshall. Before long, each was able to navigate the scooter around the corridors of Cribbs Causeway’s shopping mall to reach specific destinations. On the basis of the students’ enthusiastic and adept handling of the scooter they used that day, Tom is now convinced that Care Plus Mobility’s vehicle will prove an excellent teaching resource, while simultaneously giving his pupils much pleasure and an invaluable sense of independence.

One of the sixth formers’ parents, Karen Washbourne, commented: “What a fabulous idea this is and a great opportunity for the students. We were so pleased to see Matt using the scooter. He obviously enjoys it a lot!” Tim Carter